Blaise Cameron vs Makie Akamatsu

[Underdoggo]

One fall
Victory by 10 count pin

The LAW arena was packed tonight. Another intergender match was on the cards, and apparently this one would be involve a relative newcomer to the league. A lot of speculation was being murmured tonight on who the new guy or girl could be, and what they might be bringing to the intergender scene. Either way, the fact that this match would involve a 10 count pin meant that it promised to be intense, as a wrestler would have to get pretty battered before they would be unable to kick out from a 10 count pin. Hopefully whoever the newcomer was would be up to the task.

A few minutes later, that newcomer arrived.

Spoiler

"Lotus" by Dir en Grey began to play in the background, and Makie Akamatsu strode down the ramp, and was greeted by the cheers of the fans at the sight of this relative newcomer. A lot of the other fans didn't seem to know what to make of this new girl, what with her red outfit, spiked black and white hair and slight frame, but Makie responded to the applause all the same with enthusiastic energy. Clapping her hands back at the fans, she strode down the ramp, hi-fiving people at the edge of the railing as she walked past. As she reached the ring, she broke into a run, and athletically backlipped up onto the ropes and, just to show off. The fans seemed to like that even more.

Slipping down into the ring, Makie realized her heart was pounding. It felt exhilarating, hearing a crowd of people she didn't know cheering her. Before she even realized it, she was smiling. It almost made her forget that this was her intergender debut in the new league. I can do this, she told herself. It doesn't matter how big or tough the guy I'm facing is, I can beat him

Her attention snapped back to reality. She still had no idea who she was facing: she had told the management that she was ready to take on anyone in the roster, no matter how big, or skilled or experienced they were, she was not going to back down from a match. Now, standing in the center of the ring, she could feel an undeniable apprehension as she waited to see who her opponent was...

[CyanDimitrik]

Size? Well, under normal circumstances, the opponent they'd chosen for Makie wouldn't particularly stand out. Against her? He's definitely heavier, and a bit taller. Experienced? He's been at it quite some time, with an extensive knowledge and understanding of the academic side of wrestling - but he'd spent most of that experience on his back. That all changed, however, when he was reinvented.

Something was lost in that transition. Some intrinsic, unpolluted joy in the sport itself. But something else was gained - something that ultimately has served his career far more.

Suddenly, the first riffs of a Bon Jovi classic rip through the arena. The titan-tron comes alive with the name in fiery letters, followed by the new moniker; a cinematic sequence of his new highlight reel which makes him, in his opinion, look cooler than he probably deserves.

Actual 'Tron Video

"And her opponent! From Malibu, Florida! At 5'10" and weighing in at 170 lbs! The Phoenix! BLAISE! CAMERON!"

When the lyrics first begin, the audience is treated to the first sight of Blaise this evening. Blue and black trunks, boots, and pads, his sleekly-toned body is left largely on display - a fact he's extremely aware of as his fists raise to greet the roaring crowd. Their reception towards him has certainly warmed since that transformation into the "Phoenix". But tonight, he's foregoing the sunglasses, instead opting to make eye contact with fans and point a few out with a smile, nod, or wink before moving.

Blaise!

Gouts of flame ignite in sequence just after him at either side of the ramp, as if leaving a trail of fire in his wake. He drifts from side to side, slapping a quick high-five here and there, dapping those fistbumps, and doling out a quick side-hug to particularly fortunate fans. Upon reaching the edge of the ring, he grabs the middle rope and hauls himself up neatly onto the apron. Then, a nimble vault over the top rope to plant boots on the mat proper, bouncing a couple times to bleed the momentum. A quick dash up one turnbuckle to thump a fist to his chest a couple times before pointing out at the crowd, and he's finally dropping down to be inspected by the referee-gal.

At last, his gaze settles on the spunky Japanese girl across from him. Bright blue eyes try to lock with those honeyed browns - not in an attempt to intimidate, but just to take her in, to study her. Then, a smile; pleasantly boyish, relaxed, but eager. As the referee wraps up her inspection, he lifts a hand to tap a couple fingers to the corner of his brow, flicking aside in casually playful salute.

[Underdoggo]

The first thing Makie noticed about her opponent, obviously, was the demo reel. Which, of course, almost immediately made her think Oh great, he's experienced enough to have his own demo reel. She tried to ignore the passing images of her opponent surfing, and of him slamming various men and women into the mat while Bon Jovi blared in the background. Demo reels were always meant to make people look good, nothing more: her opponent probably wasn't nearly as good as his promo material made him out to be. Probably.

And then Blaise himself came striding into the arena. It immediately became clear who the crowd favoured tonight, given the amount of applause they were throwing at him. And honestly, Makie couldn't blame him: Blaise's tall figure, glistening upper body and chiseling abs were definitely easy on the eyes, but Blaise also carried himself with a confident yet humble stride, and the earnest smile of someone who hadn't yet let fame get to their head. It was easy to see why his fans loved him.

Of course, Makie's only concern was figuring out how to get him down for the ten count. Given how powerful Blaise looked, even from a distance, Makie's work was cut out for her.

As Blaise finally entered the ring, the ref girl checked him over for weapons. It was at that moment that their eyes locked: Makie glared at him, not wanting to show weakness in front of him even as she sized him up. Blaise, for his part, gave her a warm smile and a playful salute. No condescending sneer, leering grin, rude gesture or trash talk of any kind...just a genuinely warm smile. Well, that was different than what Makie was expecting.

Playing up her own nonchalance a little, Makie took a step forward, stretching her arms as she began to circle him. "Hope you don't go down too easily big guy," she taunted with a confident grin, still watching him carefully. "These people came here to see a show, after all." There. She had gone ahead an initiated the trash talking, since he wouldn't do so himself. Makie waited to see how Blaise would respond as she waited for the bell to ring...

[CyanDimitrik]

"Too easily?," asks Blaise with a subtle tilt of his head. The smile never leaves his face as he considers her. "Nah, that was the old me. Before the Phoenix schtick. Happy to tell ya, you're in for a long night- wait. That came out wrong. I heard it while I was saying it. Can I get a do-over on that?" The smile has, by that point, vanished in favor of a small, self-aware wince.

He's not a suave, aloof menace. At least not in personality. He's just a regular boy-next-door. One who just, to his chagrin, made what might've sounded like a double entendre.

Leaving the corner with a clearing of his throat, he begins to circle with her. "Name's Blaise. I got kind've a lot riding on this match, so I'm planning on being the winner tonight. No backup plans."

The referee swings an arm to signal the bell. *DING!*

Despite the awkward and sheepish beginning there, Blaise is suddenly a blaze of movement, rushing to meet Makie without hesitation. Hands grab for her elbow and collar, looking to immediately lockup with her in an attempt to overpower and back her up into a corner. Those bright blue eyes remain locked onto her, faces now considerably closer.

[Underdoggo]

Makie couldn't help but notice the way Blaise winced ever so slightly as he mentioned his older persona. A wince that turned into embarrassed stumbling as he walked right into one double entendre after another. Any other male opponent, in Makie's experience, would have deliberately thrown innuendo her way, and would have tried to undermine her with trash talk right from the get go. But Blaise seemed different: he seemed to be forthright and honest in his friendliness, like he was genuinely trying to make a good impression.

Makie couldn't help but smile, ever so slightly, at that. It was refreshing in a male opponent. Kinda adorable, even.

Hearing Blaise's comment about how much he had riding on this match, Makie chuckle. "Well, you better start making some," she snickered, slowly circling her larger opponent, "because I have no intention of losing my first match here!" Even if I have to beat up a kinda cute, bashful guy, she mentally added.

And then the bell rang, and Blaise, almost predictably, moved in for a lockup. Makie gave the impression of wanting to meet him head on, straining against his superior strength for a few seconds. It was a futile effort, honestly, but it gave Makie room to do what she wanted-- namely to suddenly slip around behind him and try to push him into the ropes! If all of that worked and Blaise came bouncing back, then she would try to meet him halfway with a running drop kick!

[CyanDimitrik]

"Sounds like we're at an impasse, Akamatsu-san," Blaise quips. "Tell ya what. Let's wrestle for it."

And indeed, they seem to be off from the moment the bell rings! Blaise is eager to test the physical strength of his tomboyish opponent, favoring lockups for that very thing. Not only does it tend to reveal wrestling competence and how well they can chain grapples together, but it gives a very direct, one-on-one literal feel for their physical condition. And Makie seems to be in great shape! Though as his hands squeeze a little tighter, and he presses a little more solidly into the contest, jockeying for control, he grows fairly confident in being the stronger of the two.

Oop, she gone.

Hands find his back, and Blaise is shoved into the ropes, managing an awkward spin before springing back over to her. A pair of boots plant against his pectorals, and he hits the mat with a hard thump. "Ungf!"

[Underdoggo]

Makie's heart raced as she managed to send Blaise crashing to the mat. "Yatta!" she exclaimed with an enthusiastic fist pump as she rolled back to her feet. The match was barely seconds old, and she had already knocked her larger male opponent to the mat. She couldn't afford to slow down, though: she had to maintain her momentum and keep going against him before he could turn the tables on her.

With that in mind, the short haired girl burst into a run towards the ropes, looking to rebound off of them and come bouncing back to Blaise. If the big guy was getting back to his feet by the time Makie came bouncing back, then she would look to nail him with a timely engizuri kick to the temple; otherwise, if he was still on his back, then Makie would leap forwards, hoping to hit him with a leg drop across his chest!

[CyanDimitrik]

Blaise was, admittedly, somewhere in between by the time Makie had decided to come back at him. Chest sore and briefly dazed from the kick, he had first turned over onto his side in a writhe, one arm crossing his chest protectively as she posed. But when she took off for the ropes, he began collecting himself. Turning over onto his back again, elbows bracing himself on the mat. He gets as far as abdominals flexing to stand when a leg drops across those pectorals, slamming him back down flat to the mat.

"UNGFH!"

[Underdoggo]

Blaise was recovering when Makie bounced off the ropes towards him, but not recovering nearly quickly enough. Not quickly enough, that was, to avoid her long leap forwards, rolling in just such a way that her booted sole ended up slamming down hard against his pectorals. This elicited a grunt of pain from the guy, and sent him slamming back down against the mat even as Makie landed near him in a seated position.

Taking a deep breath, Makie decided not to let up, not to let her opponent have any breathing room. Grabbing at Blaise's wrist, she was about to lock in an armbar submission when he was down...when she remembered,then and there, that it was a battle to a 10 count pin. Biting back a curse, she instead yanked on Blaise's arm to pull him to his feet, Makie would try to whip Blaise towards the ropes: the moment he bounced back, she would try to duck under his arm before grabbing his shoulder, trying to vault up and snare her legs around his head,before twisting sharply, dropping down and hoping to use her legs to flip Blaise hard onto his back in a hurricanrana!

[CyanDimitrik]

Blaise is collecting himself gradually, turning to the side towards Makie. One arm crosses his chest again, and he shoots her a look - not an angry look, but a look. Clearly two things have happened. One! He needs to step it up a notch. Two! The girl has skill! He's happy for both. It'll make for a better match! But less so if he can't stop getting flattened to the mat!

She takes his arm and pulls, him compliantly lifting to his boots with her. Though as he shoots for a grapple, she pulls and swings to launch him towards the far ropes in an irish whip. He can work with that! So he dashes to the distant cables, pivoting to press back against them and sling himself forward again! Figuring she likely expects to be on top of things, he suddenly swings an arm out to catch her with a clothesline - only she's ducked! He halts on heel after her, finds her spinning him at the shoulder and suddenly springing, her legs hooking his neck and smoothly swinging him over to land flat on his back behind her.

"Ghn..!" With a bounce against the mat, he comes to rest, dazed, his world spinning. Toned chest and sleek abdominals rise and fall heavily with each breath.